Cherrico Pottery has been supporting StarTalk Radio on Patreon for years, to draw more inspiration from the cosmos, and then filter it into art. This past January, Joel and Sienna were given an amazing opportunity: take the perfect business trip to The Big Apple (StarTalk’s headquarters in New York City) to meet Dr. Tyson and the StarTalk Radio Team.
Thanks to the generous team at StarTalk, Joel was invited to publish a guest blog post titled, “Why ‘The Starry Night’ Is Universally Beautiful.” This blog reflects on several key ideas that help inspire Cosmic Mugs. These include how “Technology, Generosity and Kindness” have all helped create and sustain success for Cherrico Pottery.
March 7th, 2016 we made history. A team of people documented me setting a new Guinness World Records™ title for ‘most pots thrown in one hour by an individual’ by throwing 159 pots in one hour, on a kick-wheel:
Today I discovered that someone else beat it, on an electric wheel.
Congrats to James T. Calhoun, who made 193 and set the new Pottery World Record. Seriously, I’m happy for you, Jim! He is the new official record holder as shown here, and he probably won’t be the last potter to beat it (many other people have attempted just this year).
It’s extremely difficult to attempt, even on an electric wheel. Guinness World Records has extremely high, difficult standards and guidelines, that you can learn about here.
My time in the limelight is over, but I’m astounded by the reach/buzz it created:
Today I’m passing the torch to the new holder. I set the record to inspire people to attempt and achieve great things, so I’m honored to be in the company of other ambitious potters like Jim. Great work, bud!
Electric Pottery Wheels vs. Kick Wheels
Guinness World Records™ doesn’t currently have a separate category for kick wheels vs. electric wheels, even though setting the record on a kick-wheel does feel different to me:
A kick wheel has no electric motor. It only spins when you kick it.
Kicking and throwing pots at the same time is more difficult than letting an electric motor do the spinning work for you.
Kicking requires different training: cardio, running, stretching and leg and back strength.
To me, the records seem fundamentally different. Again, there is no separate category for kick wheels vs. electric wheels, but we think that maybe there should be. What do you think? (Please leave a comment at the bottom of this post – I would love to hear your thoughts).
When I attempted the record back in 2016, the previous record holder used an electric wheel to make 150 pots in one hour. I knew that a kick wheel was not required by Guinness World Records, but decided to use it anyways.
Kick wheels are harder to use, which is why the vast majority of potters today use electric wheels. One of our most common Frequently Asked Questions on our popular Facebook Live videos is, “Why don’t you use an electric wheel?” With thousands of comments per video, we had to devote an entire blog post to answering it.
Bigger pots are also more difficult, making the electric motor even more important. At first, I requested to make tiny shot cups like in this video, but Guinness World Records required a “planter” with larger size and weight requirements.
Even after beating the record on a kick wheel, the chance always remained that someone would beat me on an electric, motorized wheel. Maybe I should have used an electric wheel instead.
But if I could go back, I wouldn’t have. I attempt the record in a new, innovative way on purpose.
Here is why: to inspire people to attempt and achieve difficult things. I did that the best way I knew how. That required the tool of my trade: a unique, historical kick wheel. Maybe I’ll attempt it on an electric wheel someday, but right now it doesn’t seem appropriate.
Jim Calhoun did remarkable work to win his time in the spotlight, and lets all raise a glass (or even better, a Cosmic Mug) to him.
(NOTE: please forgive the text that says Joel Cherrico is the official record holder. I AM NOT THE CURRENT RECORD HOLDER. Please give us 30 business days to make extensive website updates.)
If you would like to purchase one in the future, you can send inquiries here anytime and I will consider taking them out of storage to sell, maybe: contact@cherricopottery.com. They are pieces of art that I finished with care and attention, wood-fired in a traditional style, and then painted with care and detail. I’m honored to keep or sell them as part of my story for future exhibitions, and as part of my lifelong pottery career.
Do you remember the story of John Henry? Every schoolkid learns the folktale of the railroad worker who battled a machine and won, but died right after his victory. Historians argue about details, but a plaque in West Virginia summarizes his legacy:
“John Henry died from a race with the steam drill, during construction of the tunnel for the C.&O. Railway Co. May God Grant that we always respect the great and the strong and be of service to others.”
Obviously, the legend of John Henry is way different. Henry suffered the ultimate loss: the loss of his life. He lived in a time and place that struggled with all kinds of inequalities. His struggles were far more difficult than mine. However, all of us can be inspired by message he left in the wake of his accomplishment:
“…always respect the great and the strong and be of service to others.”
Congrats to all of you past, present and future record holders, and cheers to all of you pottery fans.
– Joel Cherrico (former Guinness World Records™ title holder for ‘most pots thrown in one hour by an individual’)
Have you ever heard of TED Talks? I’ve been obsessed with them the past few years. I’m working on a special film project about the “Big Pots” and sculptures below. The art is set up, and now I’m looking for more inspiring ways to talk about it.
I’m curious…what are some of your favorite TED Talks? This is one of my favorites, by singer/songwriter Amanda Palmer:
Simply leave a comment on this blog post before 5pm CST Friday 6/1/2018 telling us what your favorite TED Talk is from ted.com. The Cherrico Pottery Team will select one person to win and mail the winner one Cosmic Mug ($180 value: $165 +$15 average packing and shipping) shipped almost anywhere globally, totally free!
To enter, you must leave one, genuine comment on this blog post, or the moderator will not approve your comment or include you in the giveaway. Please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Please allow up to 48 hours, or sometimes even a bit longer, for the moderator to approve your comment. Limit one comment entry per person. Void where prohibited, over 21 years of age only. We will pick winner before June 5th, 2018 around 2pm Central and will be notified via email. The winner will receive the pottery shipped to them nearly anywhere globally, totally free! You can view more details at the Cherrico Pottery Giveaway Policy here or the Cherrico Pottery Terms and Conditions here. If you have any more questions or concerns, or please reach out to Joel Cherrico, anytime at our email here: contact@cherricopottery.com
“One year from today, my goal is to break ground on a new pottery studio that supports future pottery production with 100% solar fired pottery.”
I failed. I still live in the same tiny apartment that I lived in while writing “A Potter’s Journey” years ago, and I work in the same dirty, old studio. The pottery is fired with 100% of whatever fuel is generated by the electric company.
Most of the World Record Pottery Planters have been given away, purchased by people globally and opened remarkable new doors to new fans and celebrities alike. It almost didn’t happen, because I threw my back out practicing, which can be a serious problem for potters. Pushing through that failure led to achieving the ridiculous goal of actually braking the record- on a kick-wheel, for the first time in history!
“If you set your goals ridiculously high and it’s a failure, you will fail above everyone else’s success.”
This doesn’t mean you should let your ego run wild, trying to be better than everyone. It means that audacious goals will bring you to EPIC new heights, even if it’s not the heights you expected. You, and everyone around you, will achieve what you never thought was possible.
I might live in a tiny apartment, with the same dirty, old studio, but that apartment is shared with the love of my life. We’ve already drawn a floor plan for the studio we hope to build together and we’re saving money. We’re also setting more audacious goals and feeding inspiration into our artistic careers, like this trip to NYC to meet Neil deGrasse Tyson at the StarTalk RadioPatreon Party….
Photo by Justin Starr PhotographyTwitter: @urbanastronycInsta and Facebook: @justinstarrphotography
…or our annual trip to the Rocky Mountains to escape the madness of modern life for a short time, to relax in the vast mountainous landscape.
Dream Big, Start Small
Even little actions, like this technique I developed to reduce cracking in my “hump thrown” pottery, can have profound long-term effects. I use this technique every time I throw pottery, and millions of people have been captivated by it.
Do you want to see Cherrico Pottery in person, alongside hundreds of professional artists? April 20-22nd we’re setting up at the ACC St. Paul Show in Minneapolis exhibiting a selection of Big Pots, Cosmic Mugs and performing Live demos. Hope to see you there!
Cherrico Pottery has long been fans of Dr. Tyson’s work, specifically because he sees the value in art. He says artistic expression and scientific discovery cultivate the same emotions. It’s both a scientist’s and artist’s job to communicate the awe, splendor, and the beauty of the world around us. Dr. Tyson says that one large difference between art and science is that if a scientist doesn’t discover something in the universe, someone else will. Art, on the other hand, is something different:
Our friends at StarTalk created a video with a few reasons for why it’s important to continue art education. Dr. Tyson is an expert in the sciences, but he understands that in order to succeed and grow in scientific knowledge, you must have certain skills that aren’t always taught in science classes.
One of these skills that overlap between art and science is creativity. Dr. Tyson points out in this video that the human mind is capable of both precision and creativity. The best scientists are creative and the best artists bring some rationality and order into their artwork. What makes Joel’s Cosmic Mugs so spectacular is because he has integrated both creativity and order into each mug. The cosmic glaze on each mug is not meant to depict the cosmos, but instead, express it.
When Dr. Tyson speaks about the topic of art and science, there’s a good chance he brings up Vincent van Gogh’s famous painting, Starry Night. He often says that it’s the first painting that didn’t reflect reality, but instead emotion. He says that art and science are the two of the few things we create that will last past our lifetime.
Halloween might be every child’s favorite holiday, and Dr. Tyson was no different. Maybe it was a sign of his future career when his favorite candy bars were Milly Ways and Mars Bars.
Halloween Pottery Giveaway ($446 value)
Thanks so much for reading this far. Please feel free to enter this giveaway, in celebration of Halloween. 4 winners: 3 of Joel’s best Cosmic Mugs, and 1 Signed Copy of ”Ceramics TECHNICAL” that published about Joel’s Cosmic Mugs.
Dr. Tyson sipping wine from one of Joel Cherrico’s “Lunar Cups”….how cool! Photo by Justin Starr Photography
